If Eyes Could Speak
by XxEllexX
Summary: If eyes could speak, one look could say everything. But that's just it- she can't see. And me... I am damn confused. What is it about this woman that can get me so worked up? She left once, she can leave again. Hell, she probably will. But maybe... maybe this time I can stop her.
1. PROLOGUE

_Hey there! Let me start by saying that I've been writing and rewriting a bunch of GrayxClaire stories for a couple years now, but I never got the chance to publish any (or finish any, at that.) But today I will be publishing the first two chapters (the only two I have written at the moment) and I am happy to say that I will be committing to this story 100%! So, it will be a relatively long, multi-chapter story. I hope to get some reviews to see the response! Thanks in advance, lovely people. _

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**PROLOGUE**

"I'm leaving." she whispers. Her bright blue eyes gaze into his stormy ones, searching for some unspoken emotion. She grips on to the handle of her suitcase anxiously.

_Tell me to stay._

She wishes with all her might, but after an eternity of silence she accepts that this is the last straw.

He maintains his silence. She can detect no emotion on his face, as he looks at her with a blank expression. She swallows the lump emerging from her throat at the sight of his indifference and fights back her tears with rapid blinks. She nods with understanding.

_He doesn't care._

His brain is screaming at him, insisting that he say something, anything. Anything that would change her mind. But his lips remain sealed. After all, what can he really say? What words can escape his lips to convince a girl as stubborn as Claire to change her mind? Gray stands there, helplessness weighing down in his stomach.

Her eyes threaten to flood and so she closes her eyes and leans in, ever so hesitant, planting a final kiss on his handsome face.

_Will I ever see this face again? _

She takes a step back without stealing another look at him. Then she picks up her bags and steps into her brother's small car. Slumping into the backseat, she breaks. Uncontrollably, she erupts into a million broken sobs.

The car steers farther and farther away from the entrance of Mineral Town where Gray is standing hopelessly. Every nerve in his body is urging him to chase after her, yet no bone in his body will allow him to move. He's paralyzed. A bitter wind snaps at his skin and his chest is flooded with an overwhelming unease and confusion. He realizes that he may never see her again.

He should be jumping with joy but somehow, he's never felt more pathetic.

_Goodbye, Gray. It'll be as if I never existed._

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**AN: The prologue is written in third person but the rest of the story will be told in Gray's perspective. Thanks for reading! Please review if you like the story! It'll motivate me to write ^^**


	2. The One That Got Away

**Chapter One**

I draw in a sharp breath at the sight in front of me. Emotionally, I am hit by a ton of bricks.

Claire?

My eyes blink. I can't quite grasp how different she looks. I should have figured though, we've been separated for five years after all.

_And who's fault is that? _

I ignore the voice in my head.

It wasn't my fault that she left, despite what everyone thinks. And I know, I know damn well what everyone thinks. They never dare to say it to my face, but I'm not stupid. I know the way they look at me. I know they blame me for the loss of excitement in Mineral Town. The loss of life and colour- hell, the loss of fun. Because as much as I'd hate to admit it, Claire represented just that- _fun_. Still, she took those things with her when she left.

And the truth of how much her leave had affected me was known by no one but myself.

But the towns people... they don't understand.

To me, life has always been simple. I knew with every nerve in my body that my purpose in life was one thing and one thing only: to bring honour to my father's grave. My father died in a mining accident when I was seven. Since he was apprenticing for my grandfather, he would rarely have time to be with me. In fact, I don't even know much about my father. But the way I would feel when he came home from work each day... it's indescribable. And so, I knew I had to do it- what my father couldn't. I knew I had to be strong and fulfill his dream. I made a promise to myself that I would pour my heart into becoming a blacksmith.

That's why I put up with Gramps all those years. That's why I put up with him today.

But then I met Claire...

After meeting her, I was completely thrown off my path. Her liveliness, her spirit, everything about her...

I didn't understand. I mean, I just didn't understand how she could be so damn happy all the time. And how, for some Goddess only knows reason, she could make _me_ so damn happy.

Suddenly I would go days without training at the forge, and I would spend all my time thinking about her. Just thinking about her.

And let me be the first to tell you, that scared the living hell out of me. Why was I so drawn to her? I mean, I never knew where I stood, when I stood with her. I didn't know what my place was.

And I didn't know how to handle it. Claire gave me strange feelings inside. I never understood them back then, nor do I understand them now. I mean, I couldn't even articulate those feelings. I didn't know what they were called. I suppose that is why I always avoided them.

Subsequently, I avoided her. And in hindsight, I guess that's where it all went wrong.

"Who is it?"

I am brought back to reality by the sound of her voice. She sounds friendly… but something is off. She's gazing past my shoulders, her eyes distant and... what is that emotion? Fear? I glance back to see what she's talking about.

But there is no one behind me.

"Claire…" I breath. Her name rolls off my tongue eagerly and effortlessly, as if I had wanted to say it for the longest time.

Had I?

I watch as her eyebrows draw downwards.

"W-who are you?" she frowns, taking a cautious step back. And that's when it registers. That's when I see it.

My heart sinks.

_She's blind..._

I stare in shock at the walking guide gripped in her right hand. My mouth falls open.

"I'm Gray." I whisper.

The frown slowly dissipates from her face and is replaced by a small smile.

"Oh, Gray." she laughs softly. "I, um, I didn't recognize you." she smiles brightly and shrugs her shoulders but I don't acknowledge her joke. She's fucking blind, of course she doesn't recognize me!

"What. Happened." my voice comes out in a low growl through my gritted teeth and I cringe momentarily, surprised at my tenacity. She frowns.

"Nothing, Gray, it's none of your business." She mutters before casting her eyes downwards and taking a step forward. I stand in front of her, blocking her path. She halts. She sighs and her vacant blue eyes stare sadly into my chest and my heart lurches into my throat.

_She's blind..._

I sigh and pull my cap off, running a frustrated hand through my hair.

_What makes you think it's any of your business?_

"How could Jack let you go out like this?!" I can't help the rage boiling inside me. How could he let her go out like that?! She's blind, for Christ's sake!

"Don't be so loud!" she says frantically. "Jack doesn't know-"

"You snuck out?!"

"Gray, please!" she chides, her blue eyes begging. I sigh exasperatedly. This girl is truly impossible.

"My flight came early and I was just on my way to Mary's." She smiles politely at me, as if I am a stranger to her. Much to my dismay, that bothers me immensely. I notice the big duffel bag lugged over her shoulder. I should help her carry that. "I wanted to try getting there on my own." she smiles shyly at me and my heart warms.

_She has a beautiful smile..._

I shake the thought out of my head.

"Would you like to join me?" she invites me quietly. My heart skips a beat.

_You missed her didn't you? Admit it, c'mon. _

I mentally slap the voice in my head but I nod in reply to Claire's invitation.

_She's fucking blind, you idiot._

My jaw tenses. Revisiting the fact that she's... _blind_, renews me with a sense of helplessness. And a nagging thought probes the corner of my mind: she wouldn't have lost her vision, had she stayed in Mineral Town.

"Well it's not like you could get there yourself." I cringe at how harsh my words come out. I really need to work on that. She frowns and nods solemnly.

_Don't be such a shit, Gray. _

I roll my eyes.

"Here, let me take that for you." I mutter.

"No, Gray, it's fine."

"Claire-"

"Gray." she says tersely. I sigh. Fine. Fine.

I feel a strange sense of masculinity as I take my place next to her. It feels strange, walking next to her like this. In fact, I don't think we've ever been so calm around each other before.

_That's probably because she's not crazy about you anymore..._

I frown at the unwelcome thought in my mind. It shouldn't matter to me if she still likes me or not.

_But it does matter to you, doesn't it? _

I ignore that thought as my jaw tenses. I don't give a crap about how she feels for me. A small sigh escapes me and I glance down at her, noticing the significant difference in our height.

_Isn't the top of her head adorable?_

A small smile tugs at my lips. Yeah, it is.

Wait, what?!

"What's wrong?" she asks, somehow sensing my unease. My heart is beating fast and hard in my chest but I convince myself that it's only due to an instinctual fear of being jumped and tackled by her, like when we were kids.

"N-nothing." I stutter. Since when have I been such a blustering mess around girls?

_Well she is definitely not a girl anymore..._

I mentally slap my perverse thoughts. Amazing what five years can change...

_She has a nice rack. _

I glance down at her and notice with agreement.

_A very nice rack..._

Christ, did I really just think that?! I quickly shake those thoughts out of my head and chide myself for thinking like a hormonal fifteen year old boy. I'm twenty four and I should really start acting like it.

_Weren't you going to go eat at the inn?_

Yeah, well that can wait. This reckless girl needs me.

"I like the colour of your hair." My eyes widen. Oh crap, I just said that out loud. My face heats up and I turn my gaze away from her, despite the fact that she can't see me. I take a peek at her.

My embarrassment fades in an instant when I see the rosy blush across her soft, pale cheeks.

_You mean they_ look_ soft, it's not like you've actually touched her face. _

I shrug. My unintended compliment was far from conventional, but you gotta give a guy some credit for being sincere. It's true, her hair was quite radiant. A light, sun-kissed blonde that hung well below her small shoulders. She was stunning. How could I have not noticed this before?

"Thank you, Gray." I smile. I like her voice. A lot, actually. The way she says my name...

"Yeah, no problem." I shrug it off, trying to maintain my manly composure.

_Who are you kidding? _

"So, how's life?" we speak in unison. I chuckle and she laughs softly, the sound of her laughter warming my insides.

Oh no... God, what am I thinking. I can't feel this way about her! It would be so wrong of me...

_You've hurt her enough as it is..._

For once, I agree with my conscience.

"Well New York was amazing." she smiles. "I learned a lot when I was there."

"I see." I murmur.

"The people there are a lot different from here." she mutters. I hear a tone in her voice that I can't quite decipher but the way she says it sends a chill up my spine. Then I can't resist.

"What happened?" I try to ask her softly but my voice falters and cracks. She turns her head to face me, tilting her head in slight confusion. I pause, and for the first time in six years, I gaze straight into her bright, big blue eyes.

_Those beautiful eyes..._

I continue, not sure what emotion is crawling underneath my skin. "That night…" I begin. "The night that you left. What… caused you to leave?" the words tumble out of my mouth dryly and crawl into her ears, delving into the contents of her memory.

I don't know what answer I'm expecting, but in the back of my mind, I suspect that it... that it _is_ because of me. I continue to stare into her bright eyes and I watch them turn dull. Her eyes grow distant and she unknowingly tears her gaze away from mine.

My eyes follow hers effortlessly.

I continue to wait in silence, stomach churning in eagerness. This question has been consuming me for far too long. I observe her carefully as I wait, the way her delicate lips part as she struggles to provide me an answer. The way her long, slim fingers clasp together tightly.

_She's anxious. _

"If you don't feel comfortable now, you can always tell me another time. I don't wanna force it out of you, or anything." I mutter. Her fingers relax a bit and a small smile grows on her face, though not reaching her eyes. Then she turns her head to face me, her eyes penetrating through my chest.

"It was you."

My stomach lurches.

Oh Christ.

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**AN: Ta da! And there you go. Chapter 1 :) I'm completely open to your comments and constructive criticisms- wanna improve! Anyways, yep.**


	3. Expectations Overturned

**Chapter 2**

_Oh Christ._

I don't know what, but a heavy feeling is building in my chest and suddenly I feel even more miserable than minutes ago when I found out that she's... blind. I cringe.

_It was you!_

So everyone was right? A sick feeling churns in my stomach. I don't know what answer I was expecting, but hearing my worst suspicions confirmed...

"But it's fine, Gray." She turns her head up and her eyes are warm and she feigns a reassuring smile. "It was five years ago. It doesn't matter anymore."

_She means you don't matter anymore._

What does she mean "it doesn't matter"? Of course it matters! When she left, she took everything with her. She took my heart.

_About damn time you acknowledge your feelings for her..._

I pull my cap off, running a frustrated hand through my messy hair.

"Honestly, it's fine-" she begins. I place my cap back on my head.

"No! God damn it, it's not fine!" I stare down at her and wonder idly how she'd react if she could see my face right now. "You took everything when you left! Do you know how selfish that was of you?! Do you have the slightest idea how much your family and friends missed you?" My voice cracks. Does she have the slightest how much_ I_ missed her?

_She's not telepathic, Gray. If you don't tell her, how the hell is she supposed to know? _

For half an instant, I actually consider telling her how much I miss her. But then I realize how dangerous my thoughts are and shake them out of my mind. She frowns.

"Hey, look," I sigh. "I'm sorry for yelling." I apologize, seeing the crestfallen look upon her face.

_That beautiful face..._

She looks so fragile and breakable walking next to me. I growl in frustration. Can I be anymore of an inarticulate douchebag? "It's just... if it's my fault..."I don't know how to continue. If she left because of me, what the hell could I have actually said or done to make her stay? I didn't know then, and I don't know now.

We arrive outside the library- which had been demolished and remodelled a few years after Claire left- and I stop walking. Sensing this, she stops walking as well.

"We're here." I murmur, eyeing the steep marble steps leading up to the entrance of the library warily. How the hell is Claire going to get up there herself?

"Here, I'll carry you." I offer, taking a step towards her. She holds up a hand instinctively in defense and it presses against my chest when I lean in. I feel my heart skip a beat at her touch and a strange, electric feeling charges through me.

_She's touching you!_

"I may be blind but I'm not crippled." she says. I sigh exasperatedly.

"There are at least twenty steps up this damn thing! I don't care if you're blind or crippled, just let me carry you so I don't have a heart attack watching you try and get up this death trap." She begins to protest but I scoop her up anyways. She's so light. I frown, has she always been this light? Vaguely, I wonder if she's underweight.

I glance down and she's blushing a deep crimson red. A wave of triumph washes over me and I can't help the small smile on my lips. Perhaps she does still like me... or at least I still have some effect over her. She stops struggling within a matter of seconds and I suspect that she's realized that I have no intention of letting her down until we have safely passed the threshold.

_Don't you see it? She's not as strong as she used to be. _

The thought saddens me.

_She's weak now. _

And it's not just her eyesight. Something about her... that fire about her... it's gone. What happened to it? I wonder sadly. My heart falls. It's so strange, to think that once upon a time, Claire would run in to save my humiliated ass every time I scrapped with that damned idiot, Kai.

_Funny how you're carrying her like a bride..._

She relaxes against my body and her arm is draped over my neck and on to my shoulder. I shiver at the touch of her delicate fingertips against the bare skin above the collar of my black shirt, which sends a feeling all the way down to my groin. Then she rests her head softly against the crook of my neck and I find my heart rate increasing- rapidly. She smells like lavender. I don't resist my smile. I don't think I've ever been in such close contact with anyone before, let alone a girl.

_Of course you've never been so close to a girl, idiot. You blew off any girl that wanted to date you in high school._

Well, I had a damn good reason for it.

"Why are you being so nice to me...?" she asks quietly. I can hear the sadness in her voice. I reach the top of the steps but I don't let her down. She's right though... why _am _I being so nice to her?

_You can't seriously be that dense, can you? _

Well, I don't want to admit to any feelings that I can't own up to. I sigh inwardly and tense when her arm slides back across my shoulder. Her hand rests on my biceps.

_Good thing you've been working overtime at the forge._

I agree in silence.

"I... I don't know why..." I mutter incoherently. Suddenly, the door swings open and Mary pops out. She is fumbling with her keys and glances up at us before doing a double-take.

"Claire?!" she exclaims, eyes wide with shock and excitement. "Oh my god, it really is you! I thought you were coming back tomorrow!" Claire lifts her head off of me and nods shyly. Mary hesitates. "Gray? What are you doing, holding Claire like that?" She eyes me suspiciously. I roll my eyes and place Claire down on her feet, ensuring that she has retained her balance before letting of her.

"I was carrying her up your damn staircase out here." Mary looks at me admonishingly.

"Always so cranky, Gray." she chides, shaking her head with a small smile on her lips. Then her head snaps up. "Wait, why were you carrying Claire?" I swallow nervously, my throat suddenly parched. I don't want to be the one to say it.

"I'm blind, Mary." Claire's voice is barely audible. Mary's brown eyes widen behind the thick frames of her glasses and then flash to the walking guide gripped in Claire's hand. I fight back a strange urge to stroke her hair and calm her nerves. I frown at myself. Why the hell would I think of something like that?

As the words register in Mary's mind, all colour drains from her face.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?!" she squeaks. "Claire, what's going-"

"It's a long story, Mary. I just came back from New York and I wanted to pay you a visit." She smiles but her eyes aren't looking into Mary's directly. "And then I ran into Gray and he offered to take me here, seeing as I... well, you know..."

"Oh..." Mary says softly, a look of pain and understanding splashed across her face. "Well, come in and have some tea. We have a lot to talk about." She steps towards Claire and places a hand on her shoulder, slowly guiding Claire through the threshold. I stand there awkwardly, feeling intrusive. Mary turns back and ushers me.

"Well don't just stand there, Gray. Come inside." she offers. I shake my head.

"No, it's alright." I shake my head. "My work here is done." I start to turn when her face lights up.

"Oh right!" she exclaims. "I was going to find Kai and invite him to Claire's welcome dinner tomorrow...," she trails off thoughtfully. "Er, but now that Claire is here, do you mind doing me a favour and delivering the message to Jack?" she flashes me an apologetic smile and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, sure."

"Thank you Gray!" she croons. I sigh inwardly. She's as exasperating as Claire. But I definitely hold the two on different levels of standard.

Mary has grown to be somewhat of a sister to me- think, the annoyingly-cheerful-but-somehow-still-lovable little sister. After Claire left five years ago, Mary had been one of the few people who remained kind towards me- which is ironic, seeing to the fact that she was Claire's best friend. In hindsight, I realize that she probably knew that the reason Claire left was because of me. For a moment, I feel a heavy resentment towards myself.

_Cut yourself some slack._

I sigh. Regaining my composure, I glance at my watch and then head back towards Jack's farm. He's going to flip.

"WHAT?!" I cringe. I really saw this coming. "What do you mean she's _blind_?" Jack spits out the word 'blind' in disgust. Then he steps forward and grabs my shirt, pulling me down to face him. I narrow my eyes and shrug easily out of his grasp.

"Don't touch me." I narrow my eyes at him. "I am just as upset about this as you are." Jack's composure falls and he puts his head in his hands. I watch as he sinks to the floor and suddenly I feel guilty as hell.

"No," Jack whimpers. "This can't be..." his voice comes out in a choked sob. I feel a pang of empathy in my chest and I kneel down to console him as his dog rushes to his side. I pat his back awkwardly. Is this how you comfort people?

"Jack..." I don't what to say.

"This is all my fault. I let her go, I let her go, I shouldn't have-" he sobs. I sigh.

"This isn't your fault, Jack." I protest. "Claire wouldn't want to see you like this."

The dog whimpers and pushes its small body under Jack's arm to reach up and lick his face. I feel helpless crouching down next to him.

"She didn't tell me..." he cries.

"Hey, snap out of it already." I snap. "Obviously Claire didn't tell you on the phone because she didn't want to upset you. But she's doing fine. I understand your position but get yourself together, Jack. She needs you to be strong for her now." I say. "Not like this."

I sigh. Was this all my fault? We stay silent for what seems like an eternity before he sighs and looks up to face me. His tanned face is etched with worry and the bags under his dark brown eyes seem to have grown significantly since the beginning of this conversation. Then he closes his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he opens his eyes and squares his shoulders.

"You're right." he says. "Let's go to the library then." I nod wordlessly and we both get to our feet. I'm impressed by his ability to control his emotions so well. He's disciplined.

Jack leaves some kibble in the dogs food plate and we exit the house into the bitterly cold air outside. Strange. It's not usually this cold in the middle of fall.

"So, you're getting married, huh?" I mutter. It turns out that the reason for Claire's return was to attend Jack's wedding with Ann in two weeks. Somehow, I didn't know. I guess I've been working too late at the forge these days. Kai's been asleep every time I got back to the inn.

"Yep. Ann's been doing all the planning, actually." he says sheepishly. "I've tried helping but this wedding stuff is just really not up my alley." I nod.

We walk wordlessly and I can't quite determine if this is an uncomfortable silence or not. The sky is dark and the streets are empty. I glance at my watch. It's six pm already.

"I never got the chance to invite you to the wedding," Jack begins. "but would you like to come?" I am slightly taken aback by his offer. I don't really know him. At all. Although, I do know Ann.

_Perhaps a bit too well..._

I shudder at the memory of walking into Ann's room one time while she happened to be changing. Definitely not telling Jack about that.

"Yeah, okay." I say. "Thanks."

Without another word, we arrive at and enter the library.

Mary's eyes light up when she sees us come in.

"Jack!" she smiles brightly. "Gray." she smiles a bit more politely at me. Claire stands up carefully and begins to walk in our direction.

"Oh, Claire!" Jack exclaims and rushes to her side, completely ignoring Mary's greeting. I narrow my eyes at him but keep quiet. Mary's composure falls slightly but she adjusts her glasses and maintains a smile on her face. Jack envelopes Claire in a hug and closes his eyes. Then he notices Mary. "Hi, Mary." he smiles at her warmly.

"Jack," Claire smiles and her bright blue eyes water with tears. "I've missed you."

"Me too, little sis." his voice cracks but he pulls back and holds her at arm's length. "My, have you grown up! I'm getting old." Claire laughter fills the room.

"Don't be silly Jack, you're only three years older than me."

Mary and I watch and I wonder if she feels as intrusive as I do. I shove my hands into my pockets and take a seat next to Mary on the vintage chaise lounge chair. Jack and Claire take a seat across from us on the opposing piece of furniture. Jack then grasps his knees with his hands, a big boyish smile on his face. I roll my eyes and pick up a book and pretend to be fascinated with its content.

"I'm getting married, Mary!" he exclaims. My eyes widen and I lower the book in my hand, glancing sideways to see Mary's expression. Her smiles falls and her eyes water. So Jack didn't tell Mary either? I question mentally.

"Oh m-my," Mary tries to feign a big smile. "I'm so happy for you! W-what a surprise." she squeaks out feebly.

"Yeah, I just proposed a week ago and Ann said yes! That's why Claire flew in." he smiles, not noticing Mary's sadness. "We're getting married in two weeks!"

"Will you please excuse me-" Mary mutters and leaps from her seat, rushing into the back room of the library.

Oh, Christ.

Jack watches her go, a look of confusion on his face. "What's wrong?" he asks. I sigh and stand up, following Mary's direction. A frown is on Claire's face as she tries to gauge the situation.

I push open the door to the back room and Mary is sobbing helplessly, standing over her desk. She turns around in surprise and faces me. Then she frantically takes off her glasses and wipes her tears.

"Oh Gray," she tries smiling, "w-what are you doing h-here?" My brotherly senses kick in and I walk over and pull her into my arms. I stroke her hair softly.

"Shh, it's okay." my heart goes out to her.

"Oh Gray," she buries her head into my chest and sobs. "I- I don't know why I'm being like this. I j-just-" her quiet sobs interrupt her and I sigh. How did things get so complicated? "I know I should be h-happy for him but I-"

We stand there for a long time before her sobs slow down and she sighs deeply. I pull back from her and gauge her expression. Her brown eyes are wary and tired looking, and her nose is inflamed with redness. She turns away from me shyly and reaches for her glasses.

"Hey... is everything alright?" Jack's voice pierces through the silence and he stands at the door with a frown on his face. I open my mouth to say something but Mary speaks first.

"Yep, everything is fine Jack!" once again, big smile is on her face. "It was just, um, allergies." she stutters. "It's getting late, you guys should go eat dinner." she ushers him and I through the door and towards the entrance of the library.

"Oh, would you like to join us Mary?" Jack smiles warmly. I watch her with sympathy.

"N-no, no it's fine. I have some work I need to finish off here. But you all enjoy yourselves." she smiles at Claire. "It was great seeing you again, Claire. I'll see you tomorrow." Claire is standing awkwardly with the walking guide in her hand. Jack approaches Claire and takes her hand, leading her to the entrance. I watch as he guides her to the door. For some reason, I feel uncomfortable. Claire turns back and waves in our general direction, although her bright blue orbs do not find mine.

"Thank you, Gray." Mary's voice is small and barely audible behind me. I turn and glance at her. She's smiling shyly down at the floor. She shrugs. "Thank you for..."

"Don't worry about it." I interrupt, not wanting to hear anything corny or sentimental. My stomach growls quietly and I remember how hungry I am. Then I pull my cap down and turn to take my leave, the days events replaying in my mind.

With a lot to consider, I make my way to the inn.

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**AN: That's it for now! Thanks for reading.**


	4. A Gust of Summer

****Alrighties people! After being on a small hiatus, I am back! And as promised, this _will _be a long, multi-chapter fic. Hope you enjoy! The excitement is coming, just hold on for me :)!

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**Chapter Three**

By the time I exit the library, Claire and Jack are long gone and nowhere to be seen. I wonder idly if they left for the inn or if they went home as the cold breeze bites at my face hungrily. I exhale and a puff of white cloud escapes into the open air.

I think I've always suspected Mary's feelings for Jack, but I never knew the extent of it. By the tears in her eyes and the way she looked when he announced his marriage with Ann, she must have been head over heels for the guy.

I'm not as surprised, though. I mean, Jack and Ann have been dating for two years already. In a stable relationship like that, there's really only two options: break up, or get married. I guess Mary was hoping they'd break up.

And Claire...

I don't even know how to wrap my head around the Claire situation. What in Goddess' name happened to her? How did she lose her sight? A stream of worst-case scenarios play through my mind and I clench my jaw tightly, narrowing my eyes. If any of my suspicions are confirmed, I will not be held accountable for my actions.

_Why do you care so much?_

And then there's that. Why the hell do I care so much? One part of me says that it's because I pity her. Not in the sense that she's pathetic, but that I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry that...

_It all goes back to you..._

I feel sorry that I made her leave. But how? What did I do?

Then another part of me thinks my guilt is to blame. After all, she left because of me. She's blind because... I frown. Because what? I need to know.

Still, perhaps the part of me that I'm most afraid of facing...

_You still have feelings for her. _

Still? I sigh, another puff of smoke ejecting into the air. If I still have feelings for her, that would require me to admit that I _did_ have feelings for her, before she left. Do I really want to admit to that?

I reach the inn and open the doors, the warm air from inside beckoning me forward. My eyes flash to Claire and Jack sitting at the counter, talking with Ann. As usual, she's blabbing on animatedly and Jack is gazing at her in awe. I feel a pang of emotion that makes me narrow my eyes at their display of affection.

_Jealous?_

I roll my eyes in a huff and head towards the stairs. But they notice me.

Crap.

"Gray!" Ann calls. I turn to face them and notice that Claire sits up from her bored slouch against the counter and a smile lights up her pale face. She gazes in my direction and I make contact with her eyes. My heart jumps in my chest. Feeling a strange connection between us, my feet involuntarily lead me in her direction- er, in _their _direction. "It's a good thing you're here, we were just talking about the welcome dinner for Claire tomorrow!" Claire blushes at Ann's remark and stares down at her fingers.

"What's that got to do with me?" I mutter dryly, pulling down my cap.

"Well, _I _thought that Claire deserved a nice day of pampering after her long trip," she pauses to gauge my reaction, but seeing none, she continues. "so I was hoping that you, Cliff, Kai, and Jack could work together and make the dinner."

"What?!" Jack and I say in unison. She flashes us a big grin.

"You never said anything about that!" Jack exclaims. Ann shrugs.

"I was getting to it!" she giggles. "Claire and I are going to have a spa day." she says proudly. Jack gazes at her wearily but makes no further comment. She leans over the counter and plants a loving kiss on his face. "Mmwah!" I roll my eyes. I glance at Claire and she looks embarassed.

"Hey everybody! I heard Claire's bac-" Kai's loud voice bellows as a chilling gust of summer and warmth blows into the inn. Kai catches sight of Claire and releases the door, only for it to smack into Cliff. The poor guy. Kai rushes over. "Claire! Oh my god, look at you!" he exclaims, before picking her up and spinning her around. She giggles and throws her head back. My eyes narrow and I glance at Jack, his dismay evident on his face.

"That's enough, Kai." he says sternly. The smile on Claire's face disappears at the menacing tone in Jack's voice but Kai simply places her down, unfazed.

"Hey, man, how's it going?" he pats Jack on the back before pulling up a bar stool beside Claire. I narrow my eyes and lean against the counter beside Jack.

Cliff stumbles in and makes his way over. He takes a seat next to me dizzily.

"Well, now that everyone is here..." Ann begins. I sigh. This is going to be a long night.

After a long discussion downstairs, Cliff, Kai, and I all head upstairs to our room. I think I'm the most weary, of all of them.

"Man, I'm stoked for tomorrow's dinner!" Kai exclaims. I opt for silence and Cliff only nods quietly. "C'mon, why the long face?"

"Does my face _look_ long to you?" I spit, narrowing my eyes. I sigh inwardly. I'm so exhausted.

"Woah, man, chill out." he puts his hands up in retreat as I kick off my boots beside my bed. "I'm just excited to spend some time with Claire." I freeze momentarily, body tensing, but quickly resume taking off my boots. "Don't worry, boys. With my cooking expertise, tomorrow will be a breeze." Kai grins happily and walks off to the bathroom. I lie down in my bed, still fully- clothed.

Why did I agree to this? I sigh.

_You know why. _

I slowing begin to drift when Cliff's quiet voice brings me out of my reverie.

"It's nice to see Claire again." Cliff says softly. I glance at him and he's sitting on his bed, staring at his palms. Cliff smiles and remembers. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even be here today..."

"Don't be down, man." Kai says, leaving the washroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. After all these years, I still can't grasp how he can be so damn comfortable with exposing himself. The towel doesn't leave much to the imagination. I shudder. "You should just be happy! Claire's back!" he grins before tossing the towel at Cliff. It hits him in the face.

Oh Christ.

"You are so gross, Kai." I murmur, pulling my cap down over my eyes as I lie in bed. He laughs.

"Live a little, why don't you, Gray?" he suggests. I ignore him. I hear shuffling in Cliff's direction and Kai laughs.

"Awe, c'mon." he says to Cliff. The bathroom door closes and the room is finally quiet. Finally.

"So," God damnit, Kai. "what do you think of Claire? After all these years, she's finally come back- and it can't just be because of the wedding." Kai says suggestively.

"Kai, I'm trying to sleep." I grumble.

"Nope, we have to discuss this." he persists.

I ignore him.

"Don't be a wet blanket, Gray." he nags.

"Are you wearing pants?" I ask.

"Yes."

I sigh and pull myself into sitting position.

"What do you need to discuss?" I stare at him wearily. How am I best friends with someone so annoying?

"What do you think about Claire?" he prompts. I shrug.

"I don't know." I answer. But it's true. I really don't know how I feel about her. Thinking about her makes me so confused, I'd rather just... not.

"That's boring. You obviously think something of her, otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to tomorrow's plans so easily." he raises an eyebrow at me.

"You're being ridiculous." I mutter, pulling off my cap and scratching the back of my head.

"Gray, I've known you my entire life-"

"Don't remind me." I murmur. He smirks at me.

"-and you would never give in to Ann with so little resistance. Be honest with me, man."

"I don't know, Kai." I sigh. "I mean, she's blind now." Kai's expression falls. He nods, suddenly lacking exuberance. We sit in silence.

"It's really not fair," he mutters. "she's a good person." Cliff emerges from the washroom in his pjs.

"I don't know if you've noticed Kai, but bad things happen to good people all the time." Cliff mutters, before tossing Kai's towel back in his face. I smirk.

"Cliff I showered, the towel was clean." Kai says. Cliff pulls the covers over his head and Kai turns his attention to me once more. He stares at me intently.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask.

"You like her, don't you?" I look at him, alarmed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I mutter, getting up to go take a shower.

"If you don't like her, I'm going to to try to win her heart." he says. "You know I can." I tense and turn back to face him. He is dead serious. My gaze darkens with some unnameable emotion and I glare at him for what seems to be the longest time. Anger boils up within me and for a split second, I feel like ripping his head off.

_Count to ten..._

"I lost her once." I say.

"I know." he smiles playfully, placing his hands behind his head and stretching out on the bed lazily.

_Count to ten..._

"I'm not going to let her get away again." I glare daggers through him but he remains unaffected.

He smiles wordlessly and watches me with amusement. I exhale slowly and it takes all my willpower to not start a fight with him. I turn away from him and enter the washroom. He is so damn infuriating. He can't be serious about vying for Claire's affections.

_And what if he is?_

I huff at my reflection in the mirror. What am I saying? If Kai wants to win Claire's heart, power to him. Why am I letting him get me so damn worked up?

His words sound in my head.

_You like her, don't you?_

Well if he's so sure I like her, then why the hell is he toying with me like this? What kind of a friend does that?!

_You like her, don't you?_

I scowl and step under the show head, preparing for some heavy contemplation. What the hell is Kai up to?

**KAI'S POV:**

"You like her, don't you?" I smirk at him, then grin at his alarmed expression as his head snaps in my direction. Ah, if only Gray knew how much of an open book he was. Most people think he's hard to understand but in my opinion, he's easier to read than a picture book- and that's saying something. Everything is written on his face.

Gray turns away from me quickly and mutters his denial. Then the wheels in my head start turning.

"If you don't like her, I'm going to to try to win her heart." I smile at him and lean back on my bed. "You know I can." I almost blow my cover and laugh at how menacing Gray looks- or how menacing he _thinks_ he looks. I don't remember the last time I've seen him look so angry. Anyone else might back down now, seeing the anger fuming from his ears. But I'm not scared.

The 6"2 giant that I call my best friend would never even hurt a fly. The poor guy would rather lock himself up in a room, fuming, than let his anger get the best of him and physically hurt anybody. At least, that's been my observation over the years. In all honesty, I think Gray just needs to find a healthier way to release his steam instead of keeping all his issues bottled up inside. 'Cause that ain't healthy.

And while I've suggested some of my own- er, _techniques_, he often ignores my advice. Ah, the 25 year old virgin. Well, almost 25.

"I lost her once." he looks like he's about to rip my head off. "I'm not going to let her get away again." he growls darkly and I smile at him. I think my work is done.

Gray just needs a little push to get his wheels in motion- and I'd be more than happy to be that push.

* * *

Okay, so I know I took reaaaaaaaaally long to update this but I'm sure it doesn't affect the many people who read this story -light sarcasm- heh. BUT, thank you **Ancient Liddel **for being my first reviewer and follower! Also, thank you **Cotton Candy Mareep** for reviewing and following, and thank you **WinterBunniesEx-Lover** for following. Check out these authors! Oh, and thank you **harvestgirl** for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it a lot and in this chapter, I threw in a Kai POV because I thought it might be interesting to incorporate into my story. I'm just experimenting though and I'm not sure if it would make the story boring and redundant, so some feedback/advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm on the fence about incorporating different POV's cause... yeah. Well, thanks again ^^


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